Not all Japanese carry cameras at home, but most eat raw fish
while sitting on the floor with their legs crossed.

It is with more luck than judgement that you steer yourself out of a
Tokyo subway station to the exit you require.

A name of a hotel, in a totally alien city - where there are too many
roads to signpost and even the taxi-drivers have to go on a paper chase navigating by
known landmarks - is all you have to go on.

If you booked a city hotel at the airport reservations, this could
well be you.

The first night in your TV and video, towel and
tooth-brushed, slippers
by the bed, hotel room for the typical businessman, is a soothing stay; something of a
jet-lag convalescence.

The second can also be very nice, but the third seems like a blatant
misuse of funds. How can you justify a week's food-bill on eight hours between clean
sheets?

Japan - Expensive?

Japan doesn't have to be as expensive as you think.

Try a temple lodging stay - smart, relaxing Japanese style rooms with
2 delicious meals at reasonable prices. Tabehodai restaurants are great places to eat and
drink - all you can eat for about 2000 yen. For travel around the Fuji / Hakone area, make
use of the Hakone free pass . And of course, a budget, luxurious and romantic
accommodation alternative is a love hotel - from 5,000 yen for the room.

No one should visit Japan without taking a moment to quietly
contemplate, in Hiroshima.

The city of Hiroshima faces the tranquil Seto Inland Sea that prides
itself on its beautiful myriad of islands. The city is rich in nature with its surrounding
picturesque mountains that are ever changing with the four seasons and its six rivers that
flow through it.

At bath-time in Japan, wash and rinse all the soap off before
getting in the bath; so hot that you want to add some cold water to it (but shouldn't).

Japanese don't wear outside shoes in the house, slippers on tatami
mats, or house slippers to the toilet (toilet slippers are for that).

And don't forget to change back afterwards!

So much of Japanese life is full of rules, ceremony and rituals -
keeping grace and saving face.

After a hard day, the Japanese salary man on the train lets his guard
down and starts to unwind. Ties are casually loosened, while the lesser composed hang up
their jackets and remove their shoes.

Cans of beer are opened and consumed enthusiastically, because the
conscience chocolates are already in their coloured wrapping, beside the leather
brief-cases, on the racks above their heads.

The small Japanese girls, in dark-blue uniforms, find it almost
impossible to wheel their vending trolleys through the human mass, yet they struggle on
gamely with boxes and plastic bags, smiling and bowing; beautifully masking any signs of
stress or strain.

Before leaving the carriage, they turn to face the passengers, give a
high pitched cry of gratitude, and bow once more.

A colourful display of plastic, in a restaurant window, passes for
the menu.

You can not be sure what you are about to eat, but at least it gives
you a rough idea of what to expect.

Something like large liquorice allsorts turns out to be rice wrapped
in seaweed. Then of course there's the pink sections of raw fish and deep-fried
vegetables, all waiting to be tickled by chopsticks.

Cooking Sun:
Learn authentic Japanese cooking in Kyoto and Tokyo. Classes are small,
fun and educational; and the food is delicious.

Sushi Worldwide:
It would be a good idea to telephone these restaurants first as they might no longer be
open. If they are, you can always send your reviews of them into John
Marxist using the
forms linked to each restaurant listing.

Tokyo Food Page:
A complete guide to Japanese cuisine and eating in Tokyo, with recipes, articles on
Japanese cooking, restaurant listings, culinary travel tips and more.

Working in Japan

From the hopeless bureaucracy of the Japanese Department of
Immigration to the shocking amounts of key money required for an apartment, be prepared to
test your patience far beyond its usual boundaries.

Get a glimpse into the wonders of Japan; a lovely land of endless
mountain chains filled with awe-inspiring temples, shrines, rice paddies, and heavenly hot
springs.

From snow-covered mountains to beautiful sandy beaches and vibrant
cities to tranquil fishing villages. Whatever images Japan conjures up in your mind, you
won't be disappointed.

Dragonfly Tours:
The small but motivated team, combining British and local Japanese guides, aim to show you
Japan in its true light.

Inside Japan Tours:
From the bright lights of Tokyo, the taste sensations of Osaka and the history of Kyoto,
to the barren slopes of Mt. Fuji and the great outdoors of the Japan Alps, Japan has
something for everybody. Flexible 8 and 13 night tours and customised packages.

Next Japan
Travel:
Expanding on Cooking Sun, Shohei Yamamoto created a destination
management company, with headquarters in Kyoto and a branch office in
Tokyo, to help customers plan travel itineraries around Japan.

Sunrise Tours:
Japan package tours include arrival and departure transfer services to/from the airport.
Alternatively, you can select the components which best suit your needs and arrange your
own tour package.